Hardship Fund - The International Students' Emergency Fund - Post-Triage
| This webpage is for students who have been advised to make an application to the International Students’ Emergency Fund (ISEF), following a triage appointment with one of our Student Funding Advisers. If you have not undergone a triage appointment, please submit an Expression of Interest form in the first instance. We cannot consider ISEF applications from students who have not undergone a triage appointment. For more information regarding triage, please see our pre-triage webpage ISEF Pre-Triage webpage. |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
- How does the ISEF process work?
- How do I submit an ISEF application?
- What happens during my ISEF appointment?
- What happens after my ISEF appointment?
- What help can I expect to receive?
- How long does the application and assessment process take?
- Can I re-apply to ISEF?
- Who should I contact if I have any questions?
What is the International Students' Emergency Fund (ISEF)?
ISEF is intended to provide discretionary financial help to International and European Union (EU) students in situations of unexpected short-term emergency which causes them difficulty in meeting their essential living costs (e.g., food).
- The funds available are limited and cannot be used to help with tuition fee costs or to provide any high value, ongoing support.
- Awards from ISEF are needs-related and are non-repayable.
As ISEF is a fund of last resort and students must be able to demonstrate that they have made every effort to meet their needs from any other available sources.
How does the ISEF process work?
Below you will find a flowchart which outlines the basic process of ISEF. This process is the same as the Warwick Hardship Fund (WHF) for Home students.
How do I submit an ISEF application?
Your invitation to apply to ISEF is only valid for 4 weeks from the day you receive this via email. Any submissions made after this 4-week deadline will be rejected as you will need to first re-attend a triage meeting. If you are a final year student, then your date of submission must not be within 5 weeks of your course end date.
| Applications to ISEF are made via an online form. You will need to be logged into your University account whilst completing the form to be able to submit it. The links to the application forms, depending on your personal situation, can be found below: You will be able to save the above applications to return to at a later date, if required. |
| You will be required to submit evidence with the above application forms. You will be able to upload your evidence to the application at the end of the form. You will have likely spoken with your Student Funding Adviser at your triage appointment to discuss the evidence you will need to upload in your situation (which may include evidence specific to your circumstances). However, a full list can be found at the end of the application. You can also find these lists, depending on your personal situation, below:
The stipulation of the level of evidence required can be found in the above checklists. If you require guidance on How to Download Bank Statements, see our useful guidance. Alternatively, you can visit or call your bank to request your bank statements. Please note, we do not accept screenshots to demonstrate bank transactions over a protracted period of time. If you live with a partner and/or have pre-school child dependents, you will be required to submit the following forms relevant to you:
Both the Partner Information Form (including any required partner evidence) and Childcare Information Form will need to be printed, fully completed, and uploaded with your application. |
If you are struggling to upload your evidence to your online application form (Application for Students Without Child Dependents or Application for Students With Child Dependents) or you are submitting evidence at a later date, you can send us your evidence via email at .
What happens during my ISEF appointment?
| Once we have received your application form and supporting documentation, we will contact you to arrange a short, confidential appointment with a Student Funding Adviser.
You will be required to email evidence of your up-to-date balances (for all accounts held in your name and, if applicable, all accounts held in your partners name), on the day of your appointment.
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Please be assured that your Student Funding Adviser will consider your best interests at all stages of the application and assessment process. However, you should be aware that all of our Student Funding Advisers work within guidelines issued by the National Association of Student Money Advisers (NASMA) for the assessment of awards and distribution of funds.
It may be necessary during your appointment to refer to your bank statements, credit history and spending patterns (and if applicable, it may be necessary to refer to your partners bank statements and evidence). The discussion may also explore opportunities for part-time working and other funding opportunities that may be available to you. Any questions are not intended to be intrusive, but instead allow your Student Funding Adviser to form a complete and comprehensive assessment of your financial situation and, if possible, to recommend a successful outcome to your application.
During your appointment, it may become clear that further evidence will be required to complete your assessment. Your Student Funding Adviser will request this of you, should this be the case. You can submit this via email to .
What happens after my ISEF appointment?
After your appointment, your Student Funding Adviser will create a report based on your appointment and assessment. This is then submitted to the Student Funding Manager for review and approval. The Student Funding Manager will also consider your best interests and works within NASMA guidelines for the assessment of awards and distribution of funds.
| Providing we have received all your required documentation prior to your appointment, you will be notified of the outcome of your application via email within 10 working days.
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Your outcome email will outline how your award will be paid. This may be paid as:
- A one-off instalment directly into your bank account.
- Multiple instalments directly into your bank account.
- Credit to your University account for outstanding Emergency Loan(s).
- Credit to your University account for Accommodation arrears.
What help can I expect to receive?
Awards from ISEF are needs-related and assessed on an individual case by case basis. As a result, we are unable to give a clear indication of the likely value of any possible award until an application has been submitted and the assessment process fully completed.
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If your enrolment status changes during the application and assessment process then you may become ineligible to receive support from ISEF (e.g., students who become permanently withdrawn or Postgraduate Research students whose registration status becomes 'Limbo: Thesis').
How long does the application and assessment process take?
It can take up to 5 weeks from a fully completed application to receipt of funds, if you are found to be eligible (this time scale does not include from submission of your Expression of Interest, only from submission of a fully completed ISEF application).
If you are in need of more urgent financial assistance, we may be able to offer you an interest free Emergency Loan of up to £250
Please see below further ways in which the wider University may be able to assist you, if you are in financial difficulty:
Can I re-apply to ISEF?
Due to the nature of the Fund, it is unlikely that a student will need to reapply during the same academic year.
- However, if you do find yourself in immediate financial difficulty later in the year, you can submit a new Expression of Interest. The process of re-application is the same as applying in the first instance and hence you will need to undertake all stages of this as outlined in our ISEF Pre-Triage webpage.
- Please note, PhD students will need to re-apply and receive an outcome from the PGR Hardship Fund, prior to re-submitting an Expression of Interest. We will require evidence of this PGR Hardship Fund re-application outcome, to accept your Expression of Interest.
Who should I contact if I have any questions?
If you have any questions related to ISEF or Student Funding in general, please do not hesitate to contact the Student Funding team on , or by telephone on 024 7615 0096. You can also view our ISEF and ISCF Guidance Notes 2022-23 for further information.
